Intro:

Defending champion Victoria Azarenka withdrew from the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati because of a right knee injury but number sixteen seed Lucie Safarova survives a scare to reach the second round.

Script:

Victoria Azarenka's Western and Southern Open title defense has ended before it even began.
The WTA said that the former world number one has withdrawn after a practice session due to an injured right knee.

She has been replaced in the draw by Mona Barthel but still hopes to be ready for the US Open, which starts later this month.

It was better news for sixteenth seed Lucie Safarova as she beat Venus Williams to qualify.

Safarova had never beaten Venus and it looked like that run would continue as Venus took the first set.

But after some great break point saves Safarova leveled at one set all after taking the it 6-3.

The momentum in the third ebbed and flowed but after almost two and-a-half hours on court Safarova won it 6 games to 4. She's through to the second round where she'll face Kazakh qualifier Zarina Diyas, the world number 52.